I have to confess: I would rather chew linoleum than work on my resume. I've tried in the past to circumvent this aversion with resume apps but all they seem to offer are formatting options.

But then someone sent me a review copy of WinWay's Resume Deluxe. Things have certainly gotten better with resume apps! I don't think creating a resume could be any easier than if you had a resume expert sitting beside you at the computer, leading you along in your answers.

When you open the program, the resume wizard pops up and asks you to describe the job you're looking for (as you can see in Figure A).

Figure A

You add a job title and pop in some keywords and the next screen provides a huge list from which you can narrow your scope. Figure B shows the screen you see when you type in Network Administrator. You add other information in the upcoming screens, including your address and the level of job you're looking for (entry level, managerial, etc.). Then you choose the type of resume you want, chronological or functional.

Figure B

You also get cued to provide any award, accomplishments, or professional affiliations, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

After you add this and your educational background, you click OK and you get a great-looking sample resume.

The worst part about doing a resume, let's face it, is thinking of all the duties you've had and all the endeavors you've accomplished over the last few years. For some reason, when I'm faced with a blank page just waiting for my bulleted accomplishments, I completely forget everything I've ever done. And even when I can think of something, I'm unsure of how to write it so that it's dynamic and free of the dreaded passive voice. But, as you can see in Figure D, this work is done for you. All that's left for you to do is edit some of the bulleted points to be specific to projects you've worked on, etc.

Figure D

In addition to the resume maker, WinWay Resume Deluxe includes:

116,000-plus phrases that can help you find the right thing to say in your resume.

A job interviewer that allows you to practice responding to common interview questions.

An Application Organizer that helps you prepare answers ahead of time, so your job application will be correct, complete, and consistent, and which stores addresses of references, past supervisors, and desired salary.

A Salary Calculator that helps you find the salary you should expect in your geographical area.

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About Toni Bowers

Toni Bowers is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and is the award-winning blogger of the Career Management blog. She has edited newsletters, books, and web sites pertaining to software, IT career, and IT management issues.

Full Bio

Toni Bowers is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and is the award-winning blogger of the Career Management blog. She has edited newsletters, books, and web sites pertaining to software, IT career, and IT management issues.